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Usually, the first few days of summer are a blur for us. It seems like there’s so much to do and so many places we need to go. But eventually the schedules do slow down. And, as with many families, they always slow down to the point where my children are saying, “What can I do? I’m bored!” “Journaling” can help them get started in

There’s just something about a puppet show. Even though you know someone is making the puppets move and talk, it’s easy to suspend disbelief for a while and just enjoy the puppets’ antics. What you might not have realized, however, is how much fun kids can have creating a puppet show themselves. And although the children might not recognize it, they will be learning a lot in

I remember a contest our school had when I was in the fourth grade. The challenge was to see which person in each grade could write out the multiplication tables by a certain date, beginning with the ones and going through the twelves. Looking back, I can see I was pretty competitive even then. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. And I

Do you remember the book by Jeff Brown called Flat Stanley? It was a childhood staple when I was little, but for the past 15 years or so, the story has taken on a whole new role. Flat Stanley is not only a picture book, but it can also be a creative and fun way for learning geography, math, writing, science, cultures – the list

A few weeks ago, our local library offered a class for 8-12 year olds. The topic: How to Make a Stop Motion Video with Legos. My son went to the class with a friend, and he’s still making movies! I didn’t know it at the time, but Lego has a free app for iPads, iPods, and iPhones. Download the app, and your child can

This is a fun sound game you can play with just one child or with a group. It takes a little time to prepare, but it will get the kids listening! Before You Start Find a recording device, such as a tape recorder or a voice recorder on your phone. Go through your home and record familiar sounds. They might include: A squeaky door

When I was small, my parents worked hard to try to save on expenses. My mom sewed a lot of our clothes, we ate almost every meal at home, and went on a vacation every couple of years. But when I got my first job while I was in high school, I didn’t have those more frugal tendencies. Instead, I spent almost all of

If your child needs a little extra help with geometry and learning shapes and angles, or if he or she just needs a quick review, this activity is a fun one to try. Here’s what you’ll need: Supplies Cardboard Shapes: These should include whatever shapes your child is learning, such as circle, right triangle, equilateral triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, octagon, pentagon, and trapezoid.

Sometimes our days are so busy, it seems like there’s not enough time to get everything done. But then other days have a slower pace. While I welcome those kinds of days, it usually leaves my son saying, “What can I do?” Fortunately, we’ve found a creative answer to that question – modeling with Sculpey! Sculpey is a type of polymer clay that you

We live near the mountains, so it’s no wonder fall is such a special time of the year. I love everything about it: bundling up in the cooler weather (but not too cold), seeing the brilliant colors on the trees, taking trips to go apple picking, drinking warm cider, and watching the vegetable stands fill up with the fall harvest. There are lots of